How To Publicize Your Unit

1. How To Publicize Your Unit September 18, 2011 Loren Taylor

2. STUDYING PLAYING SPORTS FRIENDS FOLLOWING SPORTS HIS WORLD CHURCH HOBBIES TV MUSIC OTHER ACTIVITIES VIDEO GAMES

3. Publicize All Possible Unit Events! From The Independent Press – Submitted by Corkie Ziegler

4. From Public Event Like Parades to…. From The Independent Press – Submitted by Corkie Ziegler

5. Service Projects to… From The Independent Press – Submitted by Corkie Ziegler

6. Courts of Honor From The Independent Press – Submitted by Corkie Ziegler

7. BSA Marketing Starts From The Ground Up! • Each District and Unit must focus on promoting positive Public Relations every day in your local communities and we must tell Scouting’s story as often as possible! • We must take every opportunity possible to share our many successes! • Most people around us really have no idea what an incredible impact scouting has on our communities! • You must publicize your District successes and help train your local units to do the same • The Council Wide 100th Anniversary Candle Lighting Ceremonies were a great example of what can happen when we all work together • The truth is that now more than ever our youth really need to be “Prepared For Life.”

8. Some Marketing Ideas To Consider: • Encourage each unit to have a PR or Marketing Chairperson or volunteer • We must take every opportunity possible to share our many successes! • Appoint a person at the District level to do the same thing! • Work to build a relationship with local newspapers, radio stations and cable TV operators • Connect with local on line new services and blogs like “patch” and other community message boards – Go to www.patch.com and look for the link to your town. Our area is very well covered and more are being added • Encourage units to start their own Facebook page and encourage them to enlist as many fans as possible – utilize Twitter and other social networks – connect with our council Facebook and Twitter pages, the links to both are right on the main page of the council website • Build a relationship with your local town governments, school boards and chambers of commerce – invite council representatives to meet with them

9. Some Marketing Ideas To Consider: • Each Unit should plan on 6 to 10 Press Releases per year – not including those prepared by an Eagle Candidate. They might include: • Summer Camp, Camporees & Klondikes • High-Adventure Long-Term – Philmont, Sea-Base, etc • High-Adventure Outing – Canoeing, Rafting, Rock-Climbing, Backpacking, etc. • Courts of Honor • Fundraiser • Community Service Project • Guest Speakers • Special Events From John Kennedy – A Highly Effective Publicist For His Units

10. Some Marketing Ideas To Consider: • Participate in “back to school” nights and other school functions like fairs • March in parades and participate in other town events • Participate in as many “visible” service projects as possible • Develop e-mail lists for each unit and build that into a District list of everyone involved in scouting and all friends of scouting. This gives us the opportunity to more directly send our message. • Share good news any way that you can! • Use the resources available to you at council (ppbsa.org), at national (scouting.org) and at the many other scouting websites • Tie in with Council Events and themes and to make your jobs a bit easier • Develop your own “Prepared For Life” Themed events

11. Go to the Marketing Section on the home page of www.ppbsa.org for the Branding/Publications Guide and necessary guidelines and logos for all communications. • Included in the guide are: • Unit Web Site Guidelines • Social Media Guidelines • Unit Guide To Facebook • What Must Be Included By A Local Unit • A new Publicity Handbook is also now available with updated ideas and public relations contacts.

12. Mandatory Procedure All publications within the Patriots’ Path Council are to carefully adhere to the following: A. Must use the proper Boy Scout logo as detailed in this document B. Must use the proper Patriots’ Path council logo C. Must use the proper Boy Scout, Cub Scout or Venturing logo where appropriate D. Must adhere to any additional requirements for the particular medium as detailed in the Branding/Publications Guide E. All Unit and District publications must first be submitted to and approved by their District Executive who will check for correct dates and spelling of names, etc. F. All Council Committee publications must first be submitted to and approved by their designated Staff Advisor who will check for correct dates and spelling of names, etc. G. Staff Advisors must then submit all materials to Vicki Kallok at Vicki.Kallok@scouting.org

13. BSA Marketing Starts From The Ground Up! • People in communities throughout your District are eager to hear about the young man at church earning his Eagle Scout Award and the Cub Scouts collecting cans for the local food bank. Your community newspaper may do a feature story or run photographs of how Scouting makes a difference in your community. It is up to you to see that this information is shared with Council. • -In particular we need our Cub Packs to do a better job of promoting themselves. Our traditional Cub Scout membership numbers have been dropping and we need to do a better job of letting people know how their children will benefit from being a part of a Cub Scout Pack.

14. www.ppbsa.org BEASCOUT.ORG